Rain, Wind From Powerful Cross-Country Storm To Reach NoVA: Forecast

VIRGINIA — The next storm headed for the District and Northern Virginia could bring with it snowfall in the mountains and rain to the rest of the state, along with messy travel conditions throughout the region, according to forecasters.

The weather system is part of a cross-country front that could entangle travel plans everywhere from California to Chicago to the mid-Atlantic by week's end.

Gusty winds are likely to accompany the storm's rainfall, the National Weather Service said.

The front is predicted to move into the area early Thursday afternoon, before intensifying throughout the day and into the night, forecasters said.

"This will be a rainstorm for the I-95 corridor Thursday night into early Friday with gusty winds," AccuWeather Meteorologist Matt Benz said. The outlet added that "the combination of rain and wind can lead to many travel problems on the roads and delays at airports."

While much of Virginia will have temperatures too mild for the rain to become snow, the mountains will likely see accumulation, according to forecasts.

"Cool and breezy conditions are expected today with high pressure settling in," the National Weather Service said Tuesday. "Quiet conditions and seasonable temperatures continue through Wednesday before our next storm system arrives Thursday into Friday."

Gusts up to 30 miles per hour, with briefly higher gusts possible, will blow through much of the region. The wind will linger into Friday, but rainfall will likely taper off for most overnight.

Once the storm passes, forecasters expects a colder, breezy weekend in the greater Washington, D.C.-Northern Virginia area. However, climate forecasts show a 60-80 percent chance of warmer-than-usual weather in the region from Friday through Feb. 3.

Here's the Northern Virginia forecast for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service:

Tuesday: Cloudy, with a high near 47. Light and variable wind.

Tuesday Night: Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 31. Calm wind.

Wednesday: Increasing clouds, with a high near 47. Calm wind becoming southeast around 6 mph in the afternoon.

Wednesday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Southeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm after midnight.

Thursday: A chance of rain after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming south 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night: Rain, mainly between 8pm and 2am. Low around 46. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Friday: A chance of rain before 8am, then a chance of showers between 8am and 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.

Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near 43.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 47.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 30.

M.L.King Day: Mostly sunny, with a high near 49.